Scott Minto and Steffen Freund watched the FIFA World Cup final live from the control room at Waterloo Station.

As the World Cup comes to an end and preparations begin for the new Premier League season, Iain Macintosh calls a truce to the war between club and country and looks for potential alliances instead.

Germany: Well-funded, shrewdly managed and much more entertaining than they used to be. Whether you like it or not, they are going to be at the top for some time. Manchester City

Argentina: Despite their lofty reputation, they haven't actually won the title for more than two decades, and looking back, you wonder how reliant they were on one star player. Liverpool

Netherlands: Ruthlessly managed by a tactically excellent egotist who has no compunction telling everyone to defend on the edge of the box if he feels that it is the best way to win. Chelsea

Brazil: Their name alone evokes memories of glorious football and unprecedented triumphs, but this year was an absolute disaster and the manager must pay the price. Manchester United

Anderson hardly played for United or Brazil in recent years, but his image is symbolic of both teams' dizzying falls.

Colombia: Attractive, managed by a purist and stacked to the rafters with attacking midfielders but fell just short. Won a Fair Play trinket though, so it wasn't an entirely wasted exercise. Arsenal

France: Far more attractive and likeable than they have been in recent years. Performed well, but not so well that the landscape has been permanently altered. Yet. Everton

Belgium: High expectations were quickly dampened, and although it wasn't a disastrous tournament, with the players at their disposal you would think that they could have done a little bit better. Tottenham

Costa Rica: No one expected them to avoid early elimination, let alone clatter through the final stages and finish in a position usually reserved for bigger names. Crystal Palace

Algeria: Burdened with a reputation for overly defensive football, they really were far more entertaining than anyone expected and finished quite respectably. Stoke

United States: Their relative success was built on clear foundations of teamwork, determination, bravery and a refusal to be cowed by bigger sides. Expect those bigger sides to take note. Southampton